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Setbacks Happen

Setbacks happen in life. The question is, how can we continue to live our best in the midst of these trying times?

I am in the midst of another round of back issues. I have had chronic back issues for years. I have made tremendous strides in improving my back strength and mobility. It seems recently though, that every time I make plans to start my triathlon training program, my back flairs up and I am back to square one. Waking up and going to bed with pain every day gets old really quickly and it wears down my positive demeanor. I have had to ask myself, “what can I do to live my best even when I am in a holding pattern?”

First, I try not to allow the setback to get too much of my attention. When I have days that I feel sorry for myself and spend the entire day thinking about my pain and how I can hardly walk straight much less train, I find myself miserable. When I have days where I keep the attitude of “it is what it is” and focus on other things, I seem to be a much happier person. This is hard, but focusing on something negative will only make us more negative. Focusing on something good will lighten our spirits quickly.

Second, I do what is within my control to make things better. There is a lot that is out of our control when a setback hits, but there is a lot that is within our control as well. If you feel as though you are in a hopeless situation, spend some time reflecting on what you can do and how you can still enjoy life in the midst of this difficult time.

Third, I try to come to grips with the fact that setbacks take time to resolve. This is one of the areas that is very tough for me. Waiting for things has been a theme in my life, and because of it, I loath waiting. You would think that because I have had so much experience with it that, I would be used to it by now. Nope, but when I remind myself that these things do take time to get better, and take my advice from above, I do a little better with living my best.

Fourth, I stay focused on where I want to be in the future and never stop dreaming. Even though I have not been on my bike for weeks, I still spent some time the other night researching and dreaming about the dream bike I want to buy. It will be weeks before I can get back on my bike and probably years before I can purchase my dream bike, but I am going to keep dreaming about what I want, to keep my spirits up and have a goal to work towards. I will get there one baby step at a time.

Fifth, I need to remember that setbacks are a part of life. There is no such things as a life without them. Wouldn’t it be great if we could come to accept this fact and not fight the setbacks when they happen? I am not at this point yet, but I am starting to remind myself of this when things don’t go my way.

Setbacks are inevitable. The approach we take towards them can make a big difference. Here’s to living our best when life is not ideal.